How does one backslide?

[Sandra79]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Of course you can be saved serving God from your home. You might want to research house churching. Many communities have house church networks.

That being said...

I think it's spiritually dangerous not to have any felllowship with other believers or sound teaching. I was really burned by a local church and don't feel safe in a traditional church. I began meeting with "Christians" at a local coffee shop once a week, listening to the radio, and essentially learning what it truly means to be a Christian biblically. Today I attend a church that has over 3,000 members. They meet Sunday afternoons at a very large tabernacle in Centerville Ohio... but it's not your traditional church. It's a network of house churches. They are Reformed in doctrine (I'm one of the few Pentecostals in their midst). But the teaching is VERY deep and VERY sound for the most part. They don't agree with Apostolics on everything... but we're all on a journey.

If you were in ministry, you might want to research house churching and start a house church out of your home. I think there is a thread on house church in the Deep Waters section of this forum.

Today's institutional churches are largely religious franchises. The way to have church is clearly outlined in I Corinthians 14. If you study the book of Acts you'll find that the majority of the time Christians met in homes in small groups. No buildings, salaried clergy, sound systems, blah, blah, blah. That's how Christianity spread so easily. It was like this for nearly 200-300 years. Then the Roman Empire began mandating that Christians attend authorized gatherings in cathedrals.

Not attending a traditional church has nothing to do with backsliding. Backsliding is when you begin to live for self and not Jesus. Frankly, my religious service was all for my self and ego when attending traditional church. Today I'm doing a lot of volunteer work with homeless shelters in the area and focusing on sharing and SHOWING the Christian life to those in my life. Instead of trying to win them to a church... I'm focusing on Jesus. It took a lot of time to detox from traditional religion, ditching the legalism, and discovering what grace is all about. Now I'm victorious and complete in Christ alone.

I'll say a prayer for you after posting this. God bless and keep you and yours.

Thats crazy thats exactly wat my former pastor was starting up... Was the book of Acts house church... I agree with u to a point. I'm old fashion Apostolic to the core and feel like if I live for Him I must have an old fashion Apostolic pastor in my life. Its just to the point I dont wanna b hurt ever again. Dont get me wrong I love God but dread going to the House of God and being around ppl... Its just how do I stop going? Its inplanted in me but can I when sunday comes along think its a different day... I kno sounds corney, but I cant keep myself away from His house