Actscelerate.com

Can you be a Christian without going to church?

Acts-dicted Posts: 9027 **12/18/11 9:31 am**

Keith Greene once said "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald's makes you a Big Mac".

Church is not a building or an organization. After all, God does NOT reside in buildings made with human hands. WE are the church. Wherever we connect, He is there.

So, it would appear that attending a Sunday morning meeting is NOT a requirement of Christianity. If one chooses not to tie in to institutional church and is not attending a regular "service", how does a Christian get the fellowship that is ESSENTIAL to normal, healthy Christianity?

How does that same Christian find outlets for giving and corporate worship?
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Bound By Beaulah Posts: 1003 **12/18/11 10:49 am**

He who knows to do good and does not, him it is account as sin! Sins seprates a believer from God. And if that sins continues, hardness sits and and you will fall out of the will of God and God removes His Spirit from them! Gods Word says "DO NOT" forsake the assembling of the breatheren. Disobeadence is as the sin of witchcraft! Look at what happen to Saul! Instead of trying to see how much sin you can get away and still go to heaven you shoud see how much of Jesus and Gods Word can be manifested in your life! Your post alot times Brad, are a abomanation to God and His Word! If you call yourself a christian you are to obey and obide in the Word of God and Jesus teaching! If not throw the Bible away, and say to hell with church and hell is where you will wind up! There is no such thing as "Burger King" christianty, you can't have it your way! When you come to Jesus, Jesus said; It you having grabbed hold of the plow and looking back, you are not worthy of the Kingdom of heaven! No Brad you cannot look back, and still be a child of God!

You can survive on garbage out of cans

Acts Mod Posts: 25305 **12/18/11 11:24 am**

But that doesn't mean it's healthy or good for you. You need to go to the kitchen, restaurant, or a source of healthy food.

You CAN be a Christian without attending. But that doesn't mean it's healthy or good for you. Christ instituted the church, dare we snub our nose at the body of Christ.
You need the church and the church needs you.
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Golf Cart Mafia Capo Famiglia Posts: 4989 **12/18/11 12:11 pm**

It isnot a sin to not go to a building on Sunday morning. Who and what is the church? It's definitely not what happens on Sunday morning or where it happens on Sunday morning.

Golf Cart Mafia Soldier Posts: 2458 **12/18/11 12:21 pm**

yes...what church did the thief on the cross go to?

Friendly Face Posts: 366 **12/18/11 12:29 pm**

Friendly Face Posts: 366 **12/18/11 12:31 pm**

Considering that one of the prophecies about Jesus was that He would love and a have a passion for His Father's house, I struggle with anyone who thinks they can love Christ and what He loved and not have a need for the local church. There's a reason we were told not to forsake assembling together.

Sounds to me the whole "we are the church" thing sprung a leak in the NT times as well.

Folks who don't need the church, don't need a pastor, and if a person doesn't need a pastor, shepherd, mentor, or teacher in their life . . . I'll just say I struggle with that ideology and Christianity being coequal.

Golf Cart Mafia Soldier Posts: 2458 **12/18/11 12:44 pm**

Golf Cart Mafia Underboss Posts: 3954 **12/18/11 1:10 pm**

The better question to ask might be 'Can you go to church and still be a Christian?'

Most church-goers are horrible Christ-followers. In fact, the great majority of churches do NOT develop followers of Christ, but rather followers of a dogma or creed of belief, based mainly on moralism and defined by principles of taking care of self as a higher priority than caring for, being embedded in and incarnating Christ among their world.

I listened to a church on the radio this morning while returning from taking a family member to the airport and I would IMPLORE every person at that church to abandon it. Afterward I went to the church of a family member and heard the pastor, three times, say the bottom line was getting more people into the church. He then said, it's not about numbers, but we have to fill up the bus to get it to go so we can accomplish the vision.

My mind was reeling...so people build the vision of this pastor rather than this pastor's vision building people? IF you have to ask people to invite people to church it means your ministry just is not that good for people to share it naturally.
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Golf Cart Mafia Soldier Posts: 2295 **12/18/11 1:26 pm**

Yes, I believe it is POSSIBLE to be a Christian without regular church attendance. As Roughrider aptly put it, you can survive on garbage. In my life, I have found myself surviving, at times, on a spiritual diet of cornbread and water. Plain, bland...but enough to allow me to survive.

However, the Bible says:

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **12/18/11 1:30 pm**

I think it is possible to be a good Christian, and not attend a 'church' regularly.
BUT that Christian will assemble with like believers and feast of God's goodness in fellowship breaking bread and sharing his words. The way I see it, that was the standard of the early church.

Bringing that to this day, yes, it can be in the corner table with 1,2,3 or more folks getting lost in fellowship. Or an evening at someone's hotel or house. Even under a bridge sharing a can or pork-n-beans. But we need the fellowship.

For example, I cannot thrive in a church environment, due to a physical handicap. I never understand the preacher anymore, but I can still operate one on one. There are millions in similar circumstances (Attention disorders, sight, sounds, Torettes (?),MS, etc) Congregations do not work, but up close and personal does.

YOU ARE BLIND (or ignorant of facts) if while you are behind a pulpit, you think EVERYONE there, understands what you are saying. Before deafness, I had a pastor that would get 'nointed', after that no one knew what he said but him. I would ask my wife who can hear a pin drop, did you follow the pastor this morning? 'Not a word after he hit high gear'.

So, in my experience, you can be a Christian and not go to 'CHURCH' (a building), and sometimes much better off.
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Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5657 **12/18/11 2:39 pm**

Not for long, at least not if intentionally neglectful. Wink

Believers, as a general rule, must assemble with other believers -- and not just willy nilly either. They need to assemble with an organized body of other believers where the gifts and ministry of Christ to and through the body is carried out, and the offices given for the care of the church and the work of the ministry serve and hold members accountable to Christ and to one another. This is how it's always been since the time of Christ, and it has not/will not change.

Now, whether we do that "in a church building" and on a "set schedule" may or may not not always be the case. Still, regular and faithful attendance to the gathering of the church for worship, ministry, prayer, the word, etc., is the continuous practice and function of the church local since instituted by Christ. Members of that body cannot long endure separation form the others members by neglect or intent without suffering spiritually, and even being cut off from the body anymore than a branch that fails to abide in the vine can hope to bear fruit or stay alive. Christ is the vine, the church his body, we it's members, and that members one of another.

We NEED church.
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Singing: "Let us then be true and faithful -- trusting, serving, everyday. Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay."

Re: Can you be a Christian without going to church?

Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **12/18/11 2:39 pm**

Tom...liberal heathen

Golf Cart Mafia Soldier Posts: 2295 **12/18/11 3:22 pm**

Then obviously you believe that Mormons can be saved!

Or, perhaps even worse, SINNERS can be saved.

Amazing. And you almost a Church of God preacher.

Twisted Evil

Bound By Beaulah Posts: 1003 **12/18/11 3:45 pm**

Tom, Hebrews 10:25 is Mosaic Law? 1# God's Word is different than mans law, the 600 plus laws written during Moses times by man and NOT GOD! Disobedence to Gods Word, I.e not going to church is Sin! Apostle tells us in Romans 1:18-32 three times what happens when people disobey Gods Word, He gives them up. There is a difference to Gods Law and mans law. I guess you need to tell Jesus it was Mosaic laws when He taught on alt of the 10 commandment in the BeAttuides; Hey Jesus, Tom is telling You you made a mistake teaching Mosaic Law, Jesus didn't You know that is Old Testament!!!!!! Well Lets go back and rewrite the New Testament! Or maybe Tom missed that part in his Jesus history class a seminary!

4golf mosaic

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **12/18/11 4:06 pm**

a picture or design made with small pieces of colored material such as glass or tile stuck onto a surface

something consisting of a number of things of different types, forms, or colors

Sorry,, by the time I got back on line LC beat me to it and said it much better!!! Embarassed

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Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

Re: Can you be a Christian without going to church?

Golf Cart Mafia Capo Posts: 2714 **12/18/11 4:29 pm**

Golf Cart Mafia Capo Famiglia Posts: 4989 **12/18/11 5:24 pm**

In my opinion, many people are pushed away from local bodies because of man made rules that are not even Biblical. That is a bigger tragedy, that people exclude others with rules that are made up by people trying to be the Holy Spirit instead of being a witness and example of God's grace.

Church

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1449 **12/18/11 7:02 pm**

Would the discussion on Act's Cel. count for some of the getting together and discussing the scriptures?.

All we need to do here is to get someone to lead us in singing and then we will send in our tithes & offerings. We can start an interactive internet church!

If we start church this way the first question is "Whereo will we send our tithes & offerings"?

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **12/18/11 7:09 pm**

Evidently everyone has forgotten the one true Christian who did not attend a church, daddy Walton. Of course his family was enough to qualify for a church. Laughing

Nite John boy!
_________________
Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/