5 Spiritual Dangers of Skipping Church...

n david · #1 06-02-2015, 10:22 AM

...and why this article is wrong.

This article was posted on FB by a family friend, who is a Pastor's wife. I've included the link to the article at the bottom and will quote some excerpts from it. [Article quotes in italics]

"Below, I want to list some reasons and explain why skipping church is a really bad idea."

[I]1. You will miss out on God's primary design for your spiritual growth and well-being.

The central aspect of corporate worship is the preaching of God's Word. The proclamation of Scriptures is God's primary means for a disciple of Jesus to grow in spiritual maturity. When a professing Christian misses church they are missing God's prescribed process for spiritual growth.[/b]
I disagree that the proclamation of Scriptures is God's primary means for a disciple to grow in spiritual maturity. Prayer and study of the word of God is what brings growth, not listening to one man's sermons. It is by the foolishness of preaching that people are saved, but I disagree that it's the primary means of spiritual growth.

2. You disobey God.

Corporate worship is not optional for the Christian, according to the Bible. Hebrews 10:24-25 makes this clear:

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some...”

Author and pastor, Greg Gilbert comments on this passage, “At the very least, therefore, we have to say that, for every Christian, attendance at church gatherings is not optional. The author of Hebrews—and therefore the Holy Spirit himself—commands Christians to be present when the believers to whom he or she belongs gather.”
Sorry, Greg Gilbert, but the Bible does NOT "command Christians to be present when the believers to whom he or she belongs to gather." It simply does not say that. It says "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together." This is not something which is only done once a week at a certain location. Nor is it what Gilbert claims. We belong to Jesus Christ, not a building or denomination.

3. You make a statement to the world that God is not worthy of worship.

What we spend our time on shows what we truly value. If you miss church in order to sleep in or to attend a sporting activity, what does this say about the worth you ascribe to God? Replacing your church’s regularly scheduled worship time with some other activity demonstrates that God is not actually worthy of our worship; something else is. Unfortunately, this is the attitude and conduct of unbelievers, not God’s people.
I agree with the first sentence: "What we spend our time on shows what we truly value." Again, I don't agree with overall premise of the article suggesting that our modern version of church is what God intended. Our current definition and version of church is so far removed from what Jesus intended and what the early church had that it's almost sacrilege.

Worship should not be limited to what we do for an hour or more, one or two days out of the week, and at a certain location. It should be part of our daily lives. Yes, we should meet with other believers, but nowhere does the Bible mandate it must be done with a multitude in a certain building at a certain time.

4. You can’t minister to anyone.

Missing church robs you of an opportunity to serve someone other than yourself. If you are gone on Sunday morning you can’t offer a word of encouragement to someone who needs it; you can’t welcome an unbeliever who doesn’t usually come to church; you can’t pray with a fellow member who is suffering; you can’t encourage the other members with your voice during times of corporate singing; you can’t encourage your pastor with your presence while he preaches the sermon he has labored over all week. These are just a few ways you can’t serve if you are absent on Sunday morning.
Again, this is misguided modern thinking. That ministering to people is done on "Sunday morning" and only at "church."

WE ARE THE CHURCH! It's not, I repeat NOT, a location opened solely on Sunday!

We should be ministering to people each and every day, not just once a week.

5. You skip out on a foretaste of heaven.

God created us to worship him. That’s the primary reason you exist. This is why the church was redeemed and this is what God’s people will do when Jesus returns and restores our fallen world.
I have nothing to say here. It's just absurd.

Article Link

KeptByTheWord · #2 06-02-2015, 10:37 AM

Indeed - we - the believers- are the church, and not the building itself.

Jesus said - where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name in a church building I will be there... right? lol... of course not... it matters not if you are in a church building, or where you are... if you are gathered with 2 or 3 IN MY NAME, He will be there.

Michael The Disciple · #3 06-02-2015, 02:14 PM

Quote:

4. You can’t minister to anyone.

Missing church robs you of an opportunity to serve someone other than yourself. If you are gone on Sunday morning you can’t offer a word of encouragement to someone who needs it; you can’t welcome an unbeliever who doesn’t usually come to church; you can’t pray with a fellow member who is suffering; you can’t encourage the other members with your voice during times of corporate singing; you can’t encourage your pastor with your presence while he preaches the sermon he has labored over all week. These are just a few ways you can’t serve if you are absent on Sunday morning.

This is so off. Not that I want it to be. I think it SHOULD be true. In fact the believers ministry in such cases is usually a quick "Praise the Lord Brother" on the way in as he shakes the hands of a few people.

Then on the way out "See you next week brother".

One Church I went to years ago the Pastor was preaching with a lot of
personal stories thrown in the mix for about an hour and a half. Then he stopped and said to us "Arent we having sweet fellowship in the house of God this morning"!

How I cringed. And yet to a great many "Pastors" thats what Church amounts to.

votivesoul · #4 06-02-2015, 08:56 PM

As soon as I read the first item, I knew I was going to disagree with the rest.

Quote:

1. You will miss out on God's primary design for your spiritual growth and well-being.

The central aspect of corporate worship is the preaching of God's Word.

Sermonizing doesn't help anyone grow. Active participation in what Christ is doing and being used by Him in divine service is what causes people to grow.

And while this can be accomplished in a meeting of the church, it also can be accomplished in one's local community--even in one's home. But having someone orate for 30 - 60 minutes doesn't cause much growth.

Only if true revelation is being heralded does change and growth occur, but then, it's only the spark. Work still needs to be done in the hearer's personal life apart from the sermon.

Personally, I've grown the most while serving others in various capacities, not warming a pew. I think it's true for most if not all.

ApostolicKitty · #5 06-03-2015, 01:28 PM

I would say funny, but it is not so. My son just shared this article. The problem is that he actually agrees with it. Sometimes I wonder if he's the same kid I raised.

seguidordejesus · #6 06-04-2015, 02:31 AM

ApostolicKitty, whatever happened to Rico who used to post on one of these forums?

Praxeas · #7 06-04-2015, 03:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seguidordejesus

ApostolicKitty, whatever happened to Rico who used to post on one of these forums?

He was too suaaaaaave for us

Originalist · #8 06-04-2015, 08:19 AM

This article is an establishment hit piece for sure.

good samaritan · #9 06-04-2015, 11:19 AM

I liked it. Maybe their was some embellishment on somethings, but skimming through the article it seemed full of truth. Church is not a building but it is corporate gathering. I love it. We have 4 night services every week (and one Sunday morning service too) and last night it was almost eleven o'clock before we left. The problem is that many times it has become about vain rituals rather then God and church centered fellowship and educating. Worship music is becoming nothing but entertainment to some and many have no expectation of God moving in the midst. Instead of combating against the mandatory assembling we should be trying to contribute to the experience we should be receiving when we gather and we should be wanting to do it more as these days get worse. The conditions of the world should drive Christians to assemble more frequently rather than less.

Originalist · #10 06-04-2015, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by votivesoul

As soon as I read the first item, I knew I was going to disagree with the rest.

Sermonizing doesn't help anyone grow. Active participation in what Christ is doing and being used by Him in divine service is what causes people to grow.

And while this can be accomplished in a meeting of the church, it also can be accomplished in one's local community--even in one's home. But having someone orate for 30 - 60 minutes doesn't cause much growth.

Only if true revelation is being heralded does change and growth occur, but then, it's only the spark. Work still needs to be done in the hearer's personal life apart from the sermon.

Personally, I've grown the most while serving others in various capacities, not warming a pew. I think it's true for most if not all.

Often times the substance of sermons is not what gets an Apostolic evangelist tagged as a "good preacher" but his abilities at theatrics (jumping up on the pulpit, or running along the tops of the pews, etc)