Every Sunday must go to church?

[Episaw]

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord." Psa 122:1

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Col 3:16

"There is one body...." v4 includes "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;"
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" Eph 4:11-12

And.........?

 

[Episaw]

House churches were only common when Christianity was starting out due to the relative few numbers of Christians and the fact that Christianity was a religion without any legal status (BTW, the churches tended to meet in the large houses of middle class and wealthy patrons). I don't have anything against house churches per se but the idea that they have no costs or that there aren't missional challenges from this sort of congregational structure is false. For most of its history, Christianity has done well with the church meeting in a community building dedicated to the purpose of worship and instruction, as it becomes a community supportive institution. There's nothing "ungodly" about doing so, as Jesus has called us to serve our neighbor, and our communities include our neighbors.

Indeed, what's carnal, self-important, and self-absorbed is to assume that "church" can just be whatever we want it to be. That is carnal.

A strange post to say the least.

One. When Christianity started out it was relatively few in number. Tell me, when was the last time your church had 3,000 converts at one meeting?

Two. Church history shows that the NTC evangelized the known world in 25 years. How long has it taken your church to evangelize your known town?

Three. The NTC was deemed a sect of Judaism which had legal status.

Four. Regardless of who the houses belonged to, they did not meet in "church" buildings.

Five. The fact that the NTC evangelized the known world in 25 years suggests missional challenges were overcome on a daily basis.

Six. For most of its history, the church has thwarted God's plan and purpose for the church by meeting in "churches."

Seven. Nowhere did Jesus tell us to go and spend billions on buildings so that we can serve our neighbours.

 

[geiroffenberg]

I don't think so. He had to eat, too.

Then explain why the fastest growing church movement in the world was among chinese christians that wasnt allowed to have or gather in buildings nor to have paid leaders, in fact they werent allowed to exist. What did THEY do wrong, and why is it that when the western church system was still ruling there, they had no impact.

If you don't think churches have a mission to care for people in building up a Christian community, I think you are sadly deluded and I would even question what spirit is in you.

What? Really? You had to stoop to that level? I have a bad spirit because i dont believe you need buildings or paid pastors to have a biblical church? Well, mayb you should read some more bonhoeffer. Im done.

 

[Episaw]

Then explain why the fastest growing church movement in the world was among chinese christians that wasnt allowed to have or gather in buildings nor to have paid leaders, in fact they werent allowed to exist. What did THEY do wrong, and why is it that when the western church system was still ruling there, they had no impact.



What? Really? You had to stoop to that level? I have a bad spirit because i dont believe you need buildings or paid pastors to have a biblical church? Well, mayb you should read some more bonhoeffer. Im done.

I know this is facetious but doesn't it say somewhere in scripture that we are to go into all the world and spend billions on dedicated buildings so that we can help Christians to be lazy and self centred?

 

[FireDragon76]

A strange post to say the least.

One. When Christianity started out it was relatively few in number. Tell me, when was the last time your church had 3,000 converts at one meeting?

Two. Church history shows that the NTC evangelized the known world in 25 years. How long has it taken your church to evangelize your known town?

Where did you hear that? That's simply not true. It took several hundred years for Christians to even be a large minority in the empire.

 

[Episaw]

Where did you hear that? That's simply not true. It took several hundred years for Christians to even be a large minority in the empire.

What is "that."

 

[FireDragon76]

Then explain why the fastest growing church movement in the world was among chinese christians that wasnt allowed to have or gather in buildings nor to have paid leaders, in fact they werent allowed to exist. What did THEY do wrong, and why is it that when the western church system was still ruling there, they had no impact.

Why are you all obsessed with fast growth? When has that ever been a sign of faithfulness to God, except in America in the last hundred years or so?

 

[Episaw]

Why are you all obsessed with fast growth? When has that ever been a sign of faithfulness to God, except in America in the last hundred years or so?

I am not sure that referring to the work of the Spirit where thousands are being born again is an obsession with fast growth.

The same as I don't equate God revealing himself to Muslims in dreams and visions an obsession with the supernatural.

If that is God's way of doing things, we need to acknowledge that God will do it his way, not our way rather than make accusations of obsessions.

As for fast growth, I do not know of anything faster than on the day of Pentecost when 3,000 were saved from one meeting. Is that an obsession?

 

[FireDragon76]

The same as I don't equate God revealing himself to Muslims in dreams and visions an obsession with the supernatural.

It is when you use it to denigrate churches that rely upon much more ordinary means (BTW, as a Lutheran I would have to believe there is something "supernatural" going on at our churches, to deny that would be to deny something distinctive about our faith).

As for fast growth, I do not know of anything faster than on the day of Pentecost when 3,000 were saved from one meeting. Is that an obsession?

What makes you think Pentecost is normative?

How about discipleship, how does that fit into your narrative of what the Church should be doing? Don't you think part of being a disciple is attending to physical and spiritual needs? That's what traditional churches do. It's not glamorous work, but it's necessary.

 

[Episaw]

It is when you use it to denigrate churches that rely upon much more ordinary means (BTW, as a Lutheran I would have to believe there is something "supernatural" going on at our churches, to deny that would be to deny something distinctive about our faith).

Please post the quote where I denigrated churches?

 

[Episaw]

What makes you think Pentecost is normative?

What makes you think Pentecost is not normative?

 

[Episaw]

How about discipleship, how does that fit into your narrative of what the Church should be doing? Don't you think part of being a disciple is attending to physical and spiritual needs? That's what traditional churches do. It's not glamorous work, but it's necessary.

If you want to talk about discipleship, I suggest that you start a thread that discusses it. It is not the subject of this one. Raising it here is just a red herring.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Church is not a building. Though we shouldn't forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
There will be Christians in Heaven that have never stepped foot in side 'The Church' building
That being said it is edifying, it strengthens our faith, and we learn the Word of God. There is also great joy in United worship, praise goes up blessings go down. We are stronger together. ( using it for God)

Good answer!

Yes, this is what Hebrews says:

"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." (Hebrews 10.25)

 

[Episaw]

Good answer!

Yes, this is what Hebrews says:

"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." (Hebrews 10.25)

Don't forget the assembling together that this refers to is in the home.