Church for Everyone?

[LarryR]

About four years ago, I retired from a job where we were very supportive of each other. We had to be, and we put a lot of trust in those who worked beside us. Our fellow employees were like family and we would give our lives to save our partners. I worked most Sunday's and attended church as much as I could. It wasn't very often.

My faith in God is strong and I have been praying for His guidance as to where I belong in today's church, or if I belong there at all. It seems to me that everyone is walking on eggshells and are very guarded. I get the feeling that everything is superficial. People in the church have less care for each other than they did in my work.

Is it possible for someone to be institutionalized or conditioned to a point that he is better off worshipping and praising God on his own?

 

[robaston]

i guess you're saying you value dependence, trust and sacrifice. Most church people don't go for the benefits you get from your work. That church has it's place and they get out what they put in. God still loves and feeds them. Larry, you can value the church for that....perhaps at cellgroups you could value more?

 

[amadeus2]

About four years ago, I retired from a job where we were very supportive of each other. We had to be, and we put a lot of trust in those who worked beside us. Our fellow employees were like family and we would give our lives to save our partners. I worked most Sunday's and attended church as much as I could. It wasn't very often.

My faith in God is strong and I have been praying for His guidance as to where I belong in today's church, or if I belong there at all.

Being very supportive of one another can be a very good thing anywhere, but especially among God's people. The question will often come up: Where are they? A good place to start looking is where Jesus is:

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" Matt 18:20

Just what does that mean and where can you find such a place? Sometimes it can be right here on 'Talk Jesus', but we do like to find a better place where we can see people with the natural eye and hear them with the natural and touch them with natural fingers. But finding such a place is dependent on God and on your prayers. You apparently already know that so don't let me or anyone else get in your way. The verse I quoted suggest one thing that really must be anyplace you decide to "gather" regularly.

It seems to me that everyone is walking on eggshells and are very guarded. I get the feeling that everything is superficial.

Too many places your words are too true. There are better places and likely one of those is where God will lead you. However, let us not second guess God or try to do the leading for Him. We need to have our hearts open to the sound of His voice so as not to be misled. There are many other voices beckoning to us.

People in the church have less care for each other than they did in my work.

Again these words are too often the truth, but remember what God said to with Elijah when the man, a prophet of God, thought he was the only one who was still faithful to God:

"Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." I Kings 19:18

There still are people and places where some are worshipping God in "Spirit and in truth"

Is it possible for someone to be institutionalized or conditioned to a point that he is better off worshipping and praising God on his own?

Yes, but don't be quick to make a decision in that direction without consulting God about it. He may have something more specific in mind for you:

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matt 7:7-8

 

[LarryR]

Thank you both for taking the time to share your wisdom. I will keep your replies and pray about it.
God bless you,
Larry

 

[Bendito]

About four years ago, I retired from a job where we were very supportive of each other. We had to be, and we put a lot of trust in those who worked beside us. Our fellow employees were like family and we would give our lives to save our partners. I worked most Sunday's and attended church as much as I could. It wasn't very often.

My faith in God is strong and I have been praying for His guidance as to where I belong in today's church, or if I belong there at all. It seems to me that everyone is walking on eggshells and are very guarded. I get the feeling that everything is superficial. People in the church have less care for each other than they did in my work.

Is it possible for someone to be institutionalized or conditioned to a point that he is better off worshipping and praising God on his own?

Larry, how did you worship while you were on the job, and could not attend a church. Did you connect with Jesus? A brother once told me to find a church that teaches what I believe, and more. He said there is no sense at all going to a church that does not teach what I believe and more. For example if you believe that by Jesus stripes we are healed, healing is for today and for ALL illness spiritual, mental, and physical then do not go to a church that does not believe that because they will pull you down. Another church I went to about thirty years ago (oh my! Has it been that long?) They had a poster on the dias that the preacher used..It read "Sir. We would see Jesus" And guess what? We saw Jesus in the teachings.
So my friend. I'll tell you. Sir. Go where you SEE Jesus. If there is no place around you then go online. I can give you a few good churches online.

 

[LarryR]

Hi Benito,
When working, I spent time with our Chaplin (Bro. Don Primm) who is the one who lead me to Christ. I did connect with Jesus and that relationship has grown so much since that day. There were so many times that I would worship on my own. By that I mean that I would enter my prayer closet and thank God for His saving Grace, Love, Mercy and the many, many ways he blesses me and my family.

During those days I read some of Spurgeon's work and liked to meditate on his views about God's Word. Otherwise, I just read the Bible or listen to sermons on the radio.

Let me give you just one example of my problem with church. A couple of years ago we had a middle aged man join the church. He has hair longer than most men and tattooed arms. He lives alone with no family in the area. He never misses church, men's prayer breakfast or what ever. Yet, you will never see anyone talk to him. I had the chance to talk with him and he shared the trials he had growing up in poverty with alcoholic parents.

Our church needed a backup person on the sound equipment. This man had told me about all the work he did with sound equipment and that he had personally built such equipment. I recommended him to be the backup and it got totally silent in the room. Everyone in the room looked at the floor.

At work, we would have found a way to give this man a hand up. At church, he's not good enough to sit in the back of the church run sound equipment.

 

[Bendito]

Hi Benito,
When working, I spent time with our Chaplin (Bro. Don Primm) who is the one who lead me to Christ. I did connect with Jesus and that relationship has grown so much since that day. There were so many times that I would worship on my own. By that I mean that I would enter my prayer closet and thank God for His saving Grace, Love, Mercy and the many, many ways he blesses me and my family.

During those days I read some of Spurgeon's work and liked to meditate on his views about God's Word. Otherwise, I just read the Bible or listen to sermons on the radio.

Let me give you just one example of my problem with church. A couple of years ago we had a middle aged man join the church. He has hair longer than most men and tattooed arms. He lives alone with no family in the area. He never misses church, men's prayer breakfast or what ever. Yet, you will never see anyone talk to him. I had the chance to talk with him and he shared the trials he had growing up in poverty with alcoholic parents.

Our church needed a backup person on the sound equipment. This man had told me about all the work he did with sound equipment and that he had personally built such equipment. I recommended him to be the backup and it got totally silent in the room. Everyone in the room looked at the floor.

At work, we would have found a way to give this man a hand up. At church, he's not good enough to sit in the back of the church run sound equipment.

Yeah I've seen this sort of thing many times. Even Christians can be judgmental based on appearance. Totally wrong. So what do you want to do? Stay there and make a difference by prayer and example? Or find another church? Pray about it. Find out what Father wants you to do. What do you think?