Baptist Minister: Missing Church Is A Grave Sin?

[Hap]

This is what I have come up with so far...Maybe he wasn't to far of the mark Please provides your thoughts, there is always room for improvement.

The practice of the Christian assembly dates back to the Apostolic age.

ACTS 2: 42-46
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one's need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart

The Letter to the Hebrews reminds the faithful:

HEBREWS 10: 25
We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near

Christian celebrate on Sunday because Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. Because it is the eight day following the sabbath it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, by celebrating or New Covenant in Jesus Christ on the day of his resurrection.

Deuteronomy 5: 15
For remember that you too were once slaves in Egypt, and the LORD, your God, brought you from there with his strong hand and outstretched arm. That is why the LORD, your God, has commanded you to observe the sabbath day.
Psalms 118: 24
This is the day the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be
glad.
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[mont974x4]

Are we to fellowship? Absolutely, we aren't supposed to be lone ranger Christians. However, the sabbath is not recommanded in the NT, as the other 9 commandments are and no where are we commanded to have the rigid religious services we have today.

NASB

Col 2:16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--
Col 2:17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

Mar 2:24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"
Mar 2:25 And He *said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry;
Mar 2:26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?"
Mar 2:27 Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
Mar 2:28 "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."


lastly
Rom 14:5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
Rom 14:6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.

 

[Hadassah]

My Wife&#8217;s Baptist Minister preached a sermon that if do not attend church whenever the assembly gathers you are committing mortal sin against God. That the founders&#8217; decided when this church would be open for worship and these are the days that you should attend.

Here is the scriptural support he based his sermon on, do these verses support his claim?
Or are there other scriptures that support this better?


Hebrews 10: 24-27
24 We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.
25 We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.
26 If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins
27 but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries

My parents, when first married went to an Independent Baptist Church in Hawaii that thought this way.

They just didn't know it until:

They had me, and my mom nearly died (hemorraged to death due to doctors not doing right by her) a week or so after, was hospitalized and put on bedrest... got a bit better...
My dad had an accident with hot grease (put it in a glass while it was still hot, it shattered, went in the floor on his feet, he tossed the pan, sending grease over his head..

He had third degree burns over some of his body, second on others... needless to say he was hospitalized for some time and then my mom overtook his care at home, changing bandages and all that..

Not *one* person from that church came to help them with me (maybe a month or two old at the time), or with my dad who was then 'out of work' so to speak with his job whilst recouperating.

My mom would have to leave me with one of the neighbors in the apartment complex so she could take my dad to the hospital (via other friends as they had no car at the time) for checkups..

When my mom and dad returned to that church, they were told it was because they stayed out of church (Grave and awful sin that it was!!) that they were so deathly ill and hurt and sick... and that they had hidden sins because all of this happened and they neglected assembly on Sunday, Wednesday and every other time the doors were open.

At the time, they were teachers in the school as well as leaders in youth activities... until all this happened..


Something like this recently happened when we found out my mom had fibromyalgia and we were trying to find out what was wrong with my dad (severe food allergies to almost every food there is, and allergies to chemicals), and both caught mono due to their weakened immune systems (Both were youth pastors at the time)... the pastor of the church suggested there may be hidden sin, which then caused the illnesses, and lack of fellowship/assembly at church has caused the depression and further decline in illness.

He has since apologised, but it has exasperated their recovery and attempts at finding a new place of worship.


Now, that being said... I think it is not a good thing to not assemble with believers when called together to worship.. however, sometimes you cannot find a bible believing congregation and are left with a network of friends..

One should never neglect getting together with those stable friends to study if there is no congregation to meet at.

Atm, I have neither. I meet here when possible and do what I can on my own. If I were to assemble at this point with the two congregations I have available, I would be of little help or understanding since my current language skills are severely lacking in German. Perhaps once my vocabulary widens, I could follow along better.

Until then, I do what I can to hear and listen from CDs... and I keep the feasts and Shabbat at home. If I meet someone I can fellowship with, believe you me, I am there.

Is it a grave sin, no.

However, it can weaken our spiritual defenses if we *neglect* assembling ourselves together when there is an assembly to begin with.

Back when this was written, there was an obligation to make sure translation was available for not only the reading of scripture, but also the preaching after... so no one had an excuse.

Now, we are more modern and people are expected to learn, or if you are lucky, translation is available or services in your mother tongue.

Hope that helps.

 

[Celticflower]

Some congregations (or ministers) seem to put their "church" above everything, including God.

 

[IamAdopted]

Rules instead of freedom in Christ..

 

[Hadassah]

Some congregations (or ministers) seem to put their "church" above everything, including God.

Rules instead of freedom in Christ..

yep...

 

[GodsChild07]

My Wife&#8217;s Baptist Minister preached a sermon that if do not attend church whenever the assembly gathers you are committing mortal sin against God. That the founders&#8217; decided when this church would be open for worship and these are the days that you should attend.

Here is the scriptural support he based his sermon on, do these verses support his claim?
Or are there other scriptures that support this better?


Hebrews 10: 24-27
24 We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.
25 We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.
26 If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins
27 but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries

PATHETICALLY REDICULOUS! An attempt to increase tithes through lies and deception.

 

[mont974x4]

Interestimng theory, and I suspect you a right, at least in part. However, numbers in the pew don't necessarily equal numbers in the plate.


Very little of my giving goes to my church but my wife, and whole family, and I are very active.

 

[leothelioness]

I didn't think Hebrews stated that we should be at the Church whenever the doors are open, but do feel that if I sleep in on Sunday or stay home to watch the game I am sinning against God who has Blessed this sinner each an everyday. I guess it's a Catholic guilt thing.

I must be Catholic then!

I do feel it to be a sin to not go to church just because you don't want to.

Now, if you're sick and can't go that's one thing, but to not go because you want to do something else would be to put your selfish desires before God and that is a sin. Nothing comes before God.

Your right there is a difference on how RCC views the priesthood. We to believe that we are all priest and can administer communion. We just believe that there are hierarchal levels of the priesthood on up to our High Priest in Heaven Jesus Christ.

There again I must be Catholic! I do believe that I as a Christian am called to teach the Word, but I just can't do the same as an ordained minister can. They are specially appointed over us.

 

[Apollo Celestio]

Tell that guy to talk to those who can't attend due to being in prison for Christ's sake. It is kind of sickening to see someone think that way.

 

[leothelioness]

My parents, when first married went to an Independent Baptist Church in Hawaii that thought this way.

They just didn't know it until:

They had me, and my mom nearly died (hemorraged to death due to doctors not doing right by her) a week or so after, was hospitalized and put on bedrest... got a bit better...
My dad had an accident with hot grease (put it in a glass while it was still hot, it shattered, went in the floor on his feet, he tossed the pan, sending grease over his head..

He had third degree burns over some of his body, second on others... needless to say he was hospitalized for some time and then my mom overtook his care at home, changing bandages and all that..

Not *one* person from that church came to help them with me (maybe a month or two old at the time), or with my dad who was then 'out of work' so to speak with his job whilst recouperating.

My mom would have to leave me with one of the neighbors in the apartment complex so she could take my dad to the hospital (via other friends as they had no car at the time) for checkups..

When my mom and dad returned to that church, they were told it was because they stayed out of church (Grave and awful sin that it was!!) that they were so deathly ill and hurt and sick... and that they had hidden sins because all of this happened and they neglected assembly on Sunday, Wednesday and every other time the doors were open.

At the time, they were teachers in the school as well as leaders in youth activities... until all this happened..


Something like this recently happened when we found out my mom had fibromyalgia and we were trying to find out what was wrong with my dad (severe food allergies to almost every food there is, and allergies to chemicals), and both caught mono due to their weakened immune systems (Both were youth pastors at the time)... the pastor of the church suggested there may be hidden sin, which then caused the illnesses, and lack of fellowship/assembly at church has caused the depression and further decline in illness.

That's old school, hardcore Puritan thought. Not all Baptists think this way.

It is a sin to neglect church for selfish reasons, but when one truly can't help it they have the mercy of the Lord. He will not judge them.

And not attending church is not the cause of illness. That's just ridiculous.

 

[leothelioness]

Tell that guy to talk to those who can't attend due to being in prison for Christ's sake. It is kind of sickening to see someone think that way.

Well, just to let you know they do have chapels in prisons.

 

[français]

The message of Faith is Christ, and Christ alone. Christ IS our Church/Mass!

However, I think that G-d would be extremely upset if people do not attend Mass. After all, remember in Deuteronomy where a man did not attend Synagogue and was stoned!

 

[Hadassah]

That's old school, hardcore Puritan thought. Not all Baptists think this way.

It is a sin to neglect church for selfish reasons, but when one truly can't help it they have the mercy of the Lord. He will not judge them.

And not attending church is not the cause of illness. That's just ridiculous.

I know this.. I was in various Baptist churches and groups for 21 years... Different Southern, Independent, 'regular' and some that wavered more towards non denominational...

 

[Hadassah]

The message of Faith is Christ, and Christ alone. Christ IS our Church/Mass!

However, I think that G-d would be extremely upset if people do not attend Mass. After all, remember in Deuteronomy where a man did not attend Synagogue and was stoned!

Actually, that isn't why he was stoned. He was stoned because Just after G-d said not to do something, he went and did it in direct defiance.

To "nip it in the bud" so to speak (in other words, so the same thing that happened in Eden didn't start all over again with all the children of Israel), G-d did the just thing and had one removed for the sake of many.

FYI, Synagogues did not come into existance until after the point of people dispersing farther and farther from the Tabernacle (and Temple), in that it was impractical (and impossible) to travel to hear the Word every Sabbath and Feast, yet take in crops and tend the flocks to feed the family... solution, copy the available written word, and move it closer to the people, and at the commanded feast times, assemble at the Tabernacle.

Not to mention, people often were unable to go to the Tabernacle or Temple (due to uncleanness) and it was never held against them.

In fact, there is a secondary date one month to the day of Passover for all who were travelling or otherwise unable to keep the feast. I call that Grace in the sight of the L-rd

But, that is another thread entirely.